Restore New York Communities Initiative
New York Empire State Development (ESD)
Up to $2,000,000
NY blight removal and property revitalization grants for municipalities
Annual NY state grant funding municipalities to demolish, rehabilitate, or reconstruct vacant, abandoned, condemned, and surplus commercial and residential properties. Up to $2M per municipality. Cities and villages apply; private developers may receive sub-grants. Round 9 awarded $50M+ to 50 projects in May 2025. Round 10 not yet announced.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $2,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards $500K–$1.5M; 50 projects shared $50M+ in Round 9
- Deadline
- Between intakes — Round 9 applications closed December 20, 2024; awards announced May 2025; Round 10 not yet announced
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- NY
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Must be a New York State county, city, town, or village — ONLY municipalities can apply directly
- Private developers and businesses CANNOT apply directly; municipalities may sub-grant funds to private entities
- Must contribute at least 10% matching funds
- Must hold a public hearing before submitting application
- Property must be vacant, abandoned, condemned, or surplus
- Project must involve demolition, deconstruction, rehabilitation, or reconstruction
- Cities over 100,000 population: up to $2M; cities/villages 40,000–99,999: up to $1.5M; all others: up to $1M
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Demolition and deconstruction costs
- Site clearing and remediation
- Rehabilitation and reconstruction of vacant or blighted structures
- Commercial or residential property restoration
- Pre-development costs associated with the project (limited)
Ineligible expenses
- New construction on non-blighted sites
- Properties that are not vacant, abandoned, condemned, or surplus
- Projects lacking required 10% municipal match
- Projects where municipality cannot demonstrate ability to execute
- Ongoing operating or maintenance costs post-completion
How to apply
-
1
Monitor ESD for round announcement
Watch esd.ny.gov/restore-new-york and the NY Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) portal for Round 10 launch. Rounds historically open September–October. ESD issues press releases when applications open.
~1 hrs
-
2
Hold required public hearing
Municipality must convene a public hearing discussing the application and property assessment list before submitting the Intent to Apply. Document the hearing for the application.
~4 hrs
-
3
Submit Intent to Apply
File the Intent to Apply form through the CFA portal by ESD's deadline (typically ~4 weeks after round opens). ESD approves Intents before municipalities can proceed to full application.
~3 hrs
-
4
Prepare full application in CFA portal
Complete full application including property data sheets for each project property, project narrative, budget, match documentation, and evidence of community need. Use ESD's guidelines, sample language, and distressed community lists.
~20 hrs
-
5
Regional review and award
Applications are reviewed regionally against ESD guidelines. ESD scores based on economic impact, housing improvement, commercial investment potential, and distressed community status. Awards announced 4–6 months after application close.
~1 hrs
Private developers cannot apply directly — partner with your municipality. Projects in Empire Zones, Brownfield Opportunity Areas, and storm-damaged communities (July 2024 tornado areas) earn priority scoring. Municipalities in ESD's distressed community list automatically get bonus points.
Deadline & timing
Applications opened September 2024 with Intent to Apply due October 23, 2024 and final application due December 20, 2024. Rounds historically launch in September–October annually, but Round 10 has not been announced as of May 2026. ESD signals rounds via press releases and the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) portal.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.